


loving is easy (you got me fucked up)

by itsaslowbloom



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Bisexual Hope Mikaelson, F/F, Fluff, Gay Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman Friendship, Hosie, Romantic Fluff, Soft Josie Saltzman, kind of angst?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27765532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsaslowbloom/pseuds/itsaslowbloom
Summary: In which Hope and Josie spend a day together and Josie tells her a secret.
Relationships: Hosie - Relationship
Comments: 10
Kudos: 95





	loving is easy (you got me fucked up)

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on an actual day spent with my crush. So if you saw this... no you didn't lmao <3  
> I'm new to the Hosie writing game, so I hope you enjoy :) I also made a playlist to go with this, feel free to listen if you feel so inclined. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6pwMffJlaYrVHajrv4MCYj

_9:37am_

Warm sunlight coats the floor of Hope’s room through the cheaply made blinds. Strewn about the floor are books of poetry, painting techniques, and even the few self help ones she’d curiously picked out at _Bev’s Books_ when nobody was looking. There’s a singular, but growing, pile of dirty laundry she hadn’t bothered with yet. (She’ll get to it…eventually.) In the corner, her desk sits covered in supplies from her latest project that are spilled everywhere.

Her phone buzzes on the bedside table next to her. The auburn haired beauty groans in response, turning over to the other side of the bed. She forces a pillow over the top of her face in an effort to keep the daylight stirring her awake at bay. It’s a failed attempt though as her phone buzzes again. And again.

Throwing the pillow to the end of the bed, she sighs heavily. Picking up the phone, she notices there are three texts from Josie waiting. The annoyance drains as a hint of a smile finds its way to her lips. The two friends didn’t often communicate over text, but they would always create good conversation if they did. It was either that or an invitation to go somewhere.

**Jo :)**

**hey**

**good mornin’ stranger**

**want to get away from the world today?**

A slight heat enters Hope’s cheeks as she grins at the brunette’s words. Josie remembered that Saturday’s were her day off. Everyone needed time away from other people and for Hope, it was healthy to do so regularly.

**Hope!**

**when?**

**you planning this or am i?**

**Jo :)**

**i have ideas. be ready in 10.**

**Hope!**

**yeah no. 10 is not happening. give me at least 30**

**Jo :)**

**k. see you in 30. wear comfy clothes and tennis shoes**

**…bring art supplies.**

****Approximately half an hour later, Hope finds a patiently waiting Josie on the front steps of the school. Noticing her friend, Josie looks up and smiles.

“Hey! Ready to go?” Josie stands from her seated position. Cautiously, she hugs Hope. The two aren’t known for being overly physically affectionate with each other. Any time they were felt like a gift to Jo. When Hope reciprocated the gesture with a gentle squeeze, the taller girl had to remember to breathe properly.

Hope is the first to break the embrace and step back, nodding sweetly in response to her friend’s previous question. “Where are we going anyway?”

Jo grins. “That is up to you…do you mind driving? I’ll pay you for gas and everything.”

Hope chuckles, “Yeah, sure.” She pulls the keys to her 1998 Toyota Camry out of her canvas bag. The bumper is covered in stickers; some Hope’s, some the previous owners. Regardless, the mess of it all somehow matching her personality.

-

It doesn’t take long before the two are cruising along the highway with windows down, sunroof open, wind flowing. Both lost in their own thoughts as the sun coats everything in its warm light. Hope runs a hand through her hair as Jo sinks deeper into the passenger seat, feet resting on the dash, right hand out the window, following the patterns of the wind. The song playing through the aux chord changes and “ _Loving Is Easy_ ” by Rex Orange County begins to play. The two friends glance at each other and smile before continuing to enjoy the sound.

A gentle contentedness falls between them as Josie reflects on the past few months. The pair had recently reconnected and were slowly making progress towards becoming reacquainted. Some days, there was everything to talk about between classes, Jo’s family, and personal goings on. Other days, there seemed to be hardly anything to say. On those days, they would sit together in silence. Hope might watch Josie water her plants as she hummed happily or Jo might observe Hope’s reaction to the movies she was excited to show her. Eventually, the silence became something they didn’t feel the need to avoid. They settled into it as they spent more time together.

But silence doesn’t mean separation. Every so often on sunny afternoons, Josie’s phone would ping with the notification of a text from Hope. (A ringtone she’d picked out specially for the auburn haired girl). These messages would contain anything from poems to book excerpts to scenes from movies. Carefully articulated messages would selectively be attached, saying things like ‘hope this lifts your spirits’, ‘don’t be afraid to make art that makes people feel things, Jo’. When she didn’t feel like she’d mess up whatever pattern they had going, Josie would respond. She’d send back pictures of paintings, quotes, anything that reminded her of the world within Hope that rarely made its way out to be seen by others. When it did, Josie would relish in those moments and take in all that was offered.

The slam of the brakes jolts Josie out of her thoughts. Hope smiles sheepishly, shifting the car into park. “Sorry…the car isn’t exactly gentle to drive.”

Josie glances around, taking in where they are. They’re parked on a side road nearing a park. It’s full of trees drenched in the sweet oranges, yellows, and reds of fall. The grass still holding onto the life it has left is full of leaves that have fallen from their branches above. All around them, the golden hue of the sun lays gently in between buildings, illuminating different parts of the park.

Exiting the car and cringing as the door squeaks, Hope gestures with her head for Jo to do the same. “You ready? Let’s go.”

Jo hums in response and reaches to the backseat to retrieve her canvas bag full of writing materials. She gets out of the car, a slightly less intense squeak coming from the passenger door. She joins Hope at the trunk of the car and watches and her friend pulls a picnic blanket out for the two of them. They walk silently in unison to find a spot under a tree. Hope spreads out the blanket and the two girls use their bags as weights to keep it from being swept up in the evening breeze. The sun peeks through the leaves just enough to give their spot some warmth. Hope sighs, sitting cross-legged as she pulls her art supplies out.

“What are you going to work on today?” she inquires gently.

The question causes Josie to pause. “Umm…I think maybe some poetry. It’s been a bit since I’ve worked on anything. What about you?”

Jo turns to pull the journals and pens from her bag as Hope glances down. “I’m gonna paint a rose as the moon.”

Josie glances up, smiling and chuckling, “That’s a pretty idea. What made you think of that?”

“Not sure, just an idea I’ve been playing with.”

Josie nods and shifts to lay on her stomach, inches from Hope’s lap. She begins flipping through the pages of her journals as she hears Hope sketching on her canvas. The brunette quickly skims over the poems jotted down that are about the girl in front of her. She doesn’t mind if Hope happens to see them, but it would certainly lead to questions she isn’t ready to talk about.

Turning to a blank page, Josie stares at it and begins to run over ideas of what to write. She glances around at the scenery in the park. People walking and playing with their dogs, mothers pushing children in strollers, toddlers squealing as they go down the slide nearby. Birds chirp in the trees above them, the wind whistles every now and then when the breeze picks up. There could be a lot to write about, but none of it sparks much interest.

Hope notices this and peeks over at Josie’s blank page. “Can’t think of anything?”

Josie shakes her head. “No. Nothing’s coming to me and it’s pissing me off. Words usually flow, but today I’m just taking everything in and kind of appreciating it.”

Hope smiles as color fills her cheeks. “Well then, write what’s true for you in this moment. Like that Ernest Hemingway quote! ‘All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know’.”

“What if that gets me in trouble?”

“Trouble? How could it get you in trouble?”

“There’s plenty of ways,” Josie’s eyes drop to her lap as she twiddles with her fingers. “But it’s not a bad idea.”

“Hmm…maybe think about it for a minute. How about this? I’ll set a timer in 5 minutes, you just focus on and write whatever you feel and once it’s done, show me what you have.”

This makes Josie cringe, but there’s not a better idea springing into her head. “Okay, I guess I can try that.”

Hope grabs her phone and sets the timer as Jo goes back to the journal. She tries to give it a go. But still there’s nothing. Except for a singular sentence. It might be true, but she was right that it could get her in trouble. Not because it’s particularly horrid, but that the consequences are unforeseen. She peeks at Hope’s phone and sees that there are two minutes remaining. She supposes it’s now or never. What is a life lived if not one in boldness and truth?

The timer sounds with loud rings. “Time’s up!” Hope smiles excitedly. “Whatcha got?”

Josie has sat up, holding the journal close to her chest. She takes a deep breath and lets it out before handing the mint green journal to Hope. Her friend takes it and flips it around to read. Written in black ink is a singular sentence in the middle of the page.

_I’ve liked you for months. I think I’m in love with you._

Hope blinks several times at the page in front of her before looking up at Josie. Her mouth falls open and her eyes are wide. She stares at her as if to ask a question, but only silence hangs in the air between them.

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like, you can follow me on Twitter @itsaslowbloom. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!


End file.
